Arrested under the Disaster Management Act?
You have the right to challenge it!
Admission of Guilt (AOG) fines ranging from R500 – R5000 are being issued by the South African Police Service for contravening some of the regulations as set out in the Disaster Management Act (DMA).
Paying the fine might seem like the quickest and most cost-effective way to sort out the situation, but the public might not be aware that by paying such a fine, you might end up with a criminal record for at least 10 years.
If a person allegedly commits a more serious offence under the DMA, he/she will not have the option to pay a fine and it is then that we refer to it as a No Admission of Guilt (NAG). If one is issued with a NAG, he/she must formally appear in a Court that has jurisdiction to hear said matter.
What is very important to note, is that a person has the right to challenge both NAG's and AOG's.
Therefore we will strongly advise to rather seek legal assistance before paying an AOG, or before appearing in a court which may in turn result in a NAG.
Please do not hesitate to contact Jack van Zyl (This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. / 082 773 7076) should you have any Covid 19 related questions.
